County at ‘high risk’ of drought

SOUTH Yorkshire has been placed on the government’s list of areas at high risk of drought this spring and summer.

Earlier this week the South East joined most of East Anglia in a state of drought.

Hampshire, East and West Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and east Gloucestershire are now affected.

The Environment Agency said areas of central and south west England and south east Yorkshire also continued to be affected by dry weather. Groundwater levels were very low in the west.

There is little time left for groundwater levels to be restored by rainfall this winter before the growing season begins again, and the risk of drought in the spring and summer in those areas is very high.

Drought conditions in the South East raised the prospect of hosepipe bans in coming weeks.

Helen Vale of the Environment Agency, said: “It’s more important than ever that we use water wisely.